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「Seiichi, can I ask you something? If we die, that crystal-like something will be dropped, right?」
「Yeah.」
「Yes, if we lose that crystal, we won’t be able to use skills in the outside world. But even if we can’t use it, it’s not like there’s any problem with it, is there? I don’t think there will be any chance for us to use skills after we graduate, after all.」
I can relate to Mai’s question.
In nowadays Japan, it’s not like there are occupations such as adventurers or demon hunters.
Wait, Saki’s family is an exorcist lineage, huh.
Talk about a real life fantasy.
「Of course, I have no intention of dying due to doing something reckless, and I haven’t given up on helping you either, Seiichi.」
「I know…. It’s not that I don’t trust you. I’m just a little unsure whether I should let you know about it or not.」
「… Seiichi~.」
Hmm, so it was a leading question from Mai, who perceives the suffering of her boyfriend who is burdened with secrets, huh.
Sitting down, Seiichi shifts his gaze toward us again.
「This is probably a top secret of Toyoashihara Academy. Not only Saki, be sure to never say a word about it, no matter what, all of you. There’s a good chance you’ll be erased for real.」
「It doesn’t seem very peaceful, huh.」
「I don’t know the reason. But there’s this statistic clearly written on the documents housed by the academy. Most of the graduates of the regular class have an untimely end.」
「Untimed end?」
「Premature death, is it….」
While Mai tilts her head, Shizuka quietly murmurs as such.
「Also, both boys and girls can’t have children, it seems.」
Mai, Shizuka and Saki turn blue and hold their respective stomachs.
It’s, how should I put it, a fear of a different vector, or more like a biological dread.
「Wait a minute. Does this dungeon have such negative effects?」
「Nope, the guys from the flower group continue with their lives normally even after graduation. Raising their level in the dungeon, they live longer than normal people thanks to the strengthening of their bodies, and also continue to produce children one after another. Skills are no more than a bonus psychic ability for them.」
「… In short, the current us are in the same state as the flower group, huh.」
Let’s leave aside where Seiichi finds such secret information of the academy for the time being.
I’m sure the academy has something to do with it, but I have no intention of doubting my pal at this point.
However, distrust of the academy is welling up in me.
I can still let the concealment of information and the discrimination between supreme and regular classes slide.
However, the special training class where the new students of the regular class carried out dungeon diving for the first time.
It was obviously set with the intention of 『killing』 us.
The fact that I managed to both recover their crystal body and return alive was no more than a stroke of good luck.
「I’m sorry. It’s not that I doubt your words, Seiichi, but I don’t quite get what you mean. In other words, what does this academy want to do with us?」
「I don’t know. But for sure we have no obligation to play along with them.」
If you can train in the dungeon without dying, like the flower group, it may offer enough of a benefit.
As long as there is still physical labor, I don’t think you will have to worry about securing a job, and it seems that you’ll also be able to live longer or something.
If you go into the sports world, you would likely set one new world record after another.
It’s just, if you can’t have a child without your crystal, then in Shizuka’s case, I wonder if that means she can’t have a child with anyone but me.
If we do a little acrobatic play, we might not be unable to make a child.
Shizuka, who is squeezing my hand tightly as she perhaps is thinking the same thing as I do, shows no dissatisfied vibe in the least.
Her eyes turn somewhat reproachful when the idea of acrobatics crosses my mind, though.
By the way, perhaps having her information processor overloaded, Saki is holding her head in her hands and rolling her eyes.
This girl, she may look like a cool beauty at a glance, but I think she’s probably a muscle-head inside.
She is so uselessly cute.
◇ ◇ ◇
Leaving Seiichi’s revelations aside.
For the time being, our goal remains the same.
Our top priority is to raise our level and secure a stable standing in the academy.
Shizuka looks like someone who’ll easily get assaulted, so we’re in need of power to serve as a deterrent.
Above all else, I won’t be able to eat tasty meals if I don’t earn sen.
「Gigi.」
「Hyaaa!」
The goblin’s muffled moans are overlapped by Saki’s scream.
Nah, rather than a scream, it’s more of a war cry.
Her brandished short sword cuts off the arm of the goblin, which is wielding its weapon, before then mowing down the neck with its blade.
The fact that she is not using a shield and is wielding the short sword with both hands is probably due to the fact that she has learned kenjutsu with katana as the prerequisite.
I set the stage up at Saki’s request to let her have a one-on-one battle, but frankly speaking, it is amazing.
As for what it is that is amazing, it’s amazing that she is able to sink her sword into the goblin at level 1.
Seiichi and the others were unable to sink their blades into the goblins until they were about level 3.
I wonder if this is due to the ability correction of the 『Swordsman』 class.
Rather, I can’t help but wonder how the other students raise their level until they are able to sink their blade into the goblins.
It’s a question akin to whether the egg comes first or the chicken.
「Nah, class correction may have a part in it, but I think she’s using some sort of skill. Subconsciously that is.」
If I remember it correctly, the skill of 『Fighter』 is 『Bash』, as for 『Swordsman』 it is 『Slash』.
Swordsman is indeed a rare class, but it also seems to be a class with relatively numerous people qualified for, or so we are taught in class.
『Bash』 is a skill that increase the power of one’s blow, but 『Slash』 seems to be a skill specialized more in the phenomenon of cutting.
I’ve never used a skill attack before, so I don’t know what it feels like.
「Shingetsu Itto-ryu (True Moon One Sword Style), Hien (Swallow in flight)! I cut it, Danna-sama!」
「Oh, just wow. To have her call you Danna-sama, quite a good preference you’ve got there man.」
Saki seems to only have learned kenjutsu back in her home, and didn’t join the likes of school’s kendo club.
I think that was the right decision.
Looking at her, I think she’s able to cut people even with a bamboo sword.
Cut, by imagining such a vivid image and yelling it as the trigger word, I think the skill ends up being activated even when the person in question is unaware of it.
She’s not a gifted person for nothing, it feels like she’s going to be stronger than us in no time at all.
Shizuka seems to have a mixed feeling about it, perhaps thinking that her position as the big sister is about to become shaky.
But among all else, Shizuka is a healer-type, so I don’t think there’s anything to worry about, though.
Along with Shizuka, I pat and praise Saki, who is wagging her invisible tail.
「Firepower-wise, having Hime-chan join our party sure was a great decision.」
「Thank you very much…. But if possible I’d like to get my hands on a katana as soon as possible. I’m not very good at kodachi technique, after all.」
If I remember it correctly, the lowest-ranked uchigatana sold at the purchasing department was 500,000 sen, huh.
If we can smoothly clear today’s dungeon dive, combining my and Shizuka’s share, I think we will be able to afford it.
When I make eye contact with Shizuka, she smiles and nods back at me, thinking of it as a chance to show her dignity as the big sister.
The moment I came to feel that perhaps that smile of hers had a double meaning to it was when I realized the utter pimp state I was in, as we took Saki, who was unable to hold back her tears in happiness with a katana in hand, to the student cafeteria and held a welcoming party for her there….